An Oath Kept
by Wing staff-4
Summary: A Sokai fic... From the point of view of something you least expect... Please review!
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone, this is my first kingdom hearts fic so, there. I dunno but I was kinda inspired to write this. Well, tell me what you guys think and enjoy. :-) 

Disclaimer: Fan fictions are works created by fans. Take note, 'fans' and not owners. I am writing in this thing called 'fan fiction' with the word 'fan' in it. So that means, I'm not an owner. I do not own Kingdom Hearts or anything affiliated with it except for this fan fic. :-)

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**...An oath kept...**

It had a distinct shape.

It was colorful, lively, and it had five ends.

Five identical ends made from five identical shells. It was created by fragile, gentle, yet skillful hands. It was created meticuously, taking much time and effort from the craftsman in order for it to come out much more than satisfactory.

It was created for its beauty to be beheld.

It was created to hopefully bring luck.

But little did the craftsman know, this simple work of art was created with a special kind of power; a power that came from royalty, a power that can not be seen or felt, a power that no one can tap.

No one can.

But something will.

As it took shape, the craftsman held it up on the setting sun, studying it and smiling at the success of the work. The object stared back at its creator, fake eyes staring back at real ones. Devoid of all emotion, the object felt something inside it. Slowly, an invisible glow emanated from the brownish-gold crown on its middle.

Slowly, it woke up to a world of tropical trees and sandy ground, born to unconsciously alter the world of two individuals. Inside those small, fake, pencil-made eyes, real and genuine ones began to open.

Yet they were still emotionless. The object was not given the privilege of feeling emotions but it was given a special power to learn them. Its artificial eyes bore into the eyes of its creator, in a futile attempt to study the person's emotion.

But it felt warm, and comfortable with those gentle hands holding it and those eyes that glimmered in delight as it first took shape.

This sparked its curiosity even more. The object began utilizing this unknown power to learn more about its creator, the craftsman who tenderly brought it to this unfamiliar reality. Unfortunately for it, this power infused in him felt... incomplete. It was, as it can describe in a shallow level, raw.

For now, the object resigned itself to this safe haven.

"Well, would you look at that?"

A voice? It sounded like a human male.

But there was something with that voice... Something special about it. It seems to affect part of this power inside the object. It had to know more about it. It had to learn more about these, 'emotions' and 'feelings' in which its unknown potential seems to orbit.

There again, another sensation flowed through its five points as that same male voice stirred this power, "Hey Kairi, what's that you're holding?"

_Kairi..._

The name of the object's creator...

Those female human eyes turned away, obviously distracted by the other male human, "I-It's nothing Sora."

_Sora..._

Another sensation was felt. This was a slightly different feeling, as if there was a very tiny bit of wholeness that appeared inside the object.

It noticed that Kairi suddenly had a slight discoloration on her cheeks.

_Was something wrong with her?_

But the object thought that there wasn't. It had this slight, and somewhat... positive feeling.

But still, that pinkish color on her face did seem odd to that object. And the way she quickly turned her back on this Sora guy... _What does that mean?_

_Was it another of these... Emotions or something? Feelings?_

"Oh come on Kai, let me see it."

"No Sora, I told you it's nothing, really!" and before the object knew, it was plunged in a dark yet comfortable place.

"Please, just a small peek?"

"I told you Sora, there's nothing to show!"

"Oh really now, then what did you just put in your pocket, huh, huuuuh?"

The object began to feel sudden movements and occasionally, a hand or two trying to get it.

It heard some playful giggles while the sudden movements intensified into what feels like running.

"That's useless Kai!" the object heard Sora, "You know I can catch you!"

"That's not important," it heard a giggle, "I still won't let you see this!"

"Oh come on!"

Then, the object felt something very harsh from Kairi's movements and it tried to piece together what is happening.

"Gotcha!" it heard Sora, as a small yelp escaped Kairi's mouth.

"Sora, please? It's kinda like a secret."

There was a slight pause.

"Oh, alright then. But sooner or later, I'm gonna find out what that is."

Now the object was confused. That same feeling was there again, once again making it feel even more, whole. But it couldn't quite put a finger to it.

"Sora..." Kairi whispered. There it was again, that feeling.

Then, the object felt a gentle hand clasp it from its hiding place. It will never forget the feeling this unique hand gives it.

It felt a slight pull and then, there was light. It could now see the waves from the beach and the beautiful setting sun.

It took the object a few seconds to realize that Sora wasn't there anymore. The boy probably didn't hear Kairi whisper his name.

There again, her eyes gazed down on its distinct form, as it rest snuggly in her palm.

But there was something different in her eyes.

The object dismissed it as an illusion, created by the breeze playing with her beautiful auburn hair.

But no, it was something different. It was definitely not an illusion. There was something much more intense in those eyes, much different from what it saw the first time.

And this 'emotion' or 'feeling' reverberated from its brownish-gold crown all throughout its five ends.

Then, slowly, it watched as the girl's mouth opened and gently spoke to it,

"You know, you are my lucky charm..."

_Lucky charm..._

All of a sudden, the star-shaped object knew what this feeling or rather, emotion was.

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And so, as the days, the weeks, and the months pass, the object learned a lot more of these feelings and emotions but, it was still not enough. Slowly, its power had matured yet it was still incomplete.

For the charm felt that there still was something special to do, a certain purpose it was destined to fulfill.

Though its power was not as raw as before, it was still untapped, waiting for something or someone to release it.

_Sora..._

There really was something special with that boy. It felt like there was some sort of connection between him and the charm.

Much like the connection between Kairi and itself. Especially when the two of them speak or see each other, the charm could feel that connection grow. But Kairi's lucky charm did not worry about that feeling for it perfectly knew what that meant. And just recently, the charm got accustomed to the odd discoloration of the young girl's cheeks and found it perfectly normal especially with Sora around.

Anyway, the charm has been noticing that same phenomenon on Sora. And so, it theorized that whenever the two would light up like that, the power inside them, also known as feelings and emotions, would reach high levels and probably fluctuate, causing the redness on their faces.

And probably, the lucky charm felt it too, whenever that happens. But it didn't know if its solid face actually turned red; Kairi was kind enough not to provide a mirror to it.

And for a few more days, the charm stayed with Kairi, observing and gathering more info on Sora.

Until one day, the star-shaped object felt a rather strange kind of power. It wasn't like anything it felt before, nor was it a new kind of emotion or feeling. It was just plain power, an unwelcome sensation of dark and negative power. It was pretty strong, encompassing every single bit of the island.

But the inhabitants of this island were completely oblivious to this dark threat. And so, the day passed with much caution on the lucky charm's part.

That night, the dark power grew, even beginning to threaten the untapped power within the charm. Fortunately for it, it managed to utilize what it knew of the power inside it to create a barrier.

But it would not hold for long. The constant barrage on it must stop.

From the table on which it was carefully laid, it felt those familiar hands again, lifting it off the table. As it was being placed in a pocket, the charm hinted the worry in Kairi's eyes.

The charm closed its inner eyes and imagined, tapping a small portion of its power and trying to find out where they were going.

But it had to withdraw from this for it was beginning to affect the barrier it just placed. Anyway, it had a feeling that they were headed towards the island.

Yes, they just boarded a row boat.

The darkness was so much stronger here, and growing in intensity as they approached the island. Before Kairi tied the boat on the docks and disembark, the lucky charm created another barrier before its old one was completely eaten away.

The winds were much stronger, and the normally dark place grew unusually darker. Sand swirled about them, and the waves grew higher than before. It was like a storm but it just wasn't.

The darkness constantly pounded the new barrier, eating off parts of it and seemingly trying to get the meat inside.

Kairi began to run to the raft in which they were head over heels over for the past few days. And as she did so, the charm felt the darkness had penetrated its barrier. Slowly, it was being eaten up from the inside, corrupting its _heart_. It tried fiercely to shoo it away but it just wouldn't.

_What was happening?_

Then, as the charm grew weaker, it felt something strange. Darkness had not actually penetrated its barrier(although it was pretty close); the power within it was just simply fading away.

And noteably, it was Kairi's feelings and emotions inside it which was fading away.

_Kairi?_

And then, dark realization struck those five ends... Kairi did not have a barrier in her heart! The darkness was eating it and in the process, was affecting the charm! But the lucky charm could not save her heart, for the darkness was too strong to fend off.

Suddenly, they felt like they were falling- falling without end in an endless pitch-black environment. There was nothing to break their fall. Everything was disappearing. Everything began to fade away. It felt Kairi's fear as she was getting lost to the darkness, resigning herself to her fate.

But the lucky charm wouldn't give up. It fought hard to keep them afloat, trying desperately to find a way out of this predicament.

But nothing happened.

Until...

Another part inside the charm glowed with light. It sensed fear in this glowing part yet it was still unbelievably strong nonetheless. Darkness did not corrupt it. Yes... Now it knew what it had to do.

Summoning what's left of its power, it took Kairi's heart, drained it from the darkness, and brought her out of this never-ending environment to a damp, familiar place, and face to face with a perplexed brunette.

"Kairi!"

Yes, he was strong. The charm noticed a newfound power circling through the brunette's body and completely protecting him from the darkness.

"So-ra..." The darkness had taken its toll on Kairi. The charm had to save her fast.

It knew what it had to do.

Summoning all its strength, it blew itself, along with Kairi, right into Sora.

It could see Sora stretch his arms out, as if accepting what it planned to do.

The charm blew Kairi right through the boy, penetrating him and his powerful light.

But before she went past him, the charm took her heart and connected it with the boy's.

_Take care of this... Sora..._

The charm felt Sora's heart respond by accepting Kairi's heart, encompassing it with the same light, and protecting it.

With the charm's power nearly drained, it felt too weak to hang on and it slipped into darkness.

But at least it knew that her heart was going to be safe with the young boy.

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(A/N)

There you go. Tell me what you think. I'll be uploading the next chapter soon. So please, R and R and I hope you enjoyed. :-)

Oh and BTW, for those who are still reading Promises, the story is not yet dead. I'm still going to finish it. I'm just trying to get in the mood of writing again by writing this story. Ironic isn't it? Hehehe.

So there, please review and enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

Here you go, chapter 2. Enjoy. 

There are spoilers for KH1 and some for KH2. But I guess you guys have finished both games already. :-)

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No one can tell for how long Kairi's lucky charm has been out of it. All that the object remembers was that fateful night on Destiny islands. All it could remember was pitch black.

That is if it could remember at all.

All of a sudden, it felt alive. It felt rejuvenated. It began... To feel again.

An unfamiliar quack greeted its senses, "Sora! Soraaaa!"

It was followed by a gentle yet extremely worried feminine voice- a voice that was all too familiar, "Sora!"

_Kairi! She's okay! She's alive!_ Yes, it could feel the princess. She is safe. Now, the object felt... complete?

What's this?

Kairi, without a doubt, is alive. But well?

Her heart... It was returned to her but it bled. And then, it remembered.

_Take care of this... Sora..._

Sora? Suddenly, inside it, an empty void appeared in the place of Sora. The charm felt almost nothing of Sora in it. _Where was he? What happened to him?_ But it could only feel the boy slowly overcome by darkness.

What happened to that light in him, that powerful light that once held the boy strong?

Once again, it felt the pain in Kairi's heart as she spoke, "Sora? Are you really..."

"No! I won't let him go!" The pain in her heart was evident through her voice.

Now it understood. It knew what happened to Sora. There were no more explanations, no excuses, nothing else.

Sora loved Kairi.

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It wasn't long before Sora and Kairi were alone.

And it didn't take long before this love was reciprocated.

"When I turned into a Heartless, you saved me, remember?"

Heartless beings, no matter how big or small, possess no heart; Not even a tiny bit of it.

"I was lost in the darkness. I couldn't find my way. I started forgetting things-"

**The object remembered the darkness, the pain and anguish over the loss of someone beloved. The way three figures ran, with heavy footsteps and heavy thumps in their hearts as each step made them more and more aware that they are leaving him behind.**

**A shadow pounced on them. Just like a regular Heartless, this one had no heart. Its sole intent was to kill.**

**Its target, the large, humanoid dog carrying an oversized shield.**

**But this veteran fighter knew all about it. In a split second, he turned around, shield over his head. The shadow slammed right into the shield and dissipated.**

**He then twisted his shield and smashed another shadow.**

**"Goofy look out!"**

**Goofy felt his back heat up and turned just to see another shadow burn. "Thanks Donald!"**

**The duck quacked a thumbs-up and jabbed his staff on another Heartless. "Goofy! You gotta come here and protect Kairi quick!" As he said that, he held his staff up to shield himself from another shadow. The shadow clung to the staff, making Donald kick it loose and kill it with another fire spell.**

**Kairi just stood there. She had completely forgotten that they had stopped running. As the magician and the knight fought the numerous Heartless, she fought her own inner battle.**

**It was a battle between reality and nightmare. For her lucky charm though, it knew that deep inside Kairi, this nightmare had just mended itself with reality.**

**_"My friends..."_**

**And then a new battle had started- a battle which Kairi lost immediately.**

**It was a battle to fight back her tears.**

**"Kairi!" Goofy yelped, trying to jump right in front of the girl, his shield nestled on his outstretched hands, as a large fireball came hurtling towards her.**

**Just before the flame hit her, Goofy's shield made it just in time, deflecting the fireball right back to its caster: A defender. Feeling the full force of the blast, the large Heartless was knocked out.**

**Immediately, Goofy threw his shield right at an incoming Wyvern, its talons at the ready. The spinning shield hit it squarely on the face, killing it.**

**Before the shield began its twirl back to its owner's hands, the magician pointed his wand at it and cast a spell to assume control of the airborne object. Donald swung his wand in mid-air and the shield followed the wand's movements, hitting heartlesses as it flew. "There are too many! We can't do this without Sora..."**

**Kairi, with her tear-stricken face, didn't even know whether to thank Goofy or reprimand him for the save. If she was killed, maybe she can see Sora again.**

**The loss was tearing her apart. The lucky charm could feel it.**

**If only she knew that there was still light in Sora.**

**Goofy, with his shield recovered, laid a hand on her back. "Kairi lets keep moving."**

**But she didn't want to move.**

**"Kairi, Sora doesn't want you dead." Donald quacked, casting stop on the remaining Heartless and tugging her hand. "Now come on, do it for Sora."**

**Goofy and Donald's faces fell at the mention of his name.**

_**"Who I was..."**_

**Yet Kairi had to move.**

**She overcame the numbness in her legs and started to walk. After a while, they broke into a run.**

**But that run was short lived. As soon as they entered the lobby, a Heartless followed them.**

_**"The darkness almost swallowed me."**_

_**Kairi... If only you knew...**_

**Donald spotted it coming after them so he doubled-back and whacked it on the head.**

**Surprisingly the only hostile response he received from the shadow was a short jump backwards.**

**"Confounded Heartless! Get lost, will ya!" the duck quacked.**

**There was something odd about this Heartless though. Aside from it not being hell-bent on consuming their hearts, this one had a faint glow inside its...**

**Heart?**

**A Heartless...**

**With a Heart?**

**Yes. It did have a heart albeit a very small part of it.**

_**Oh Kairi... If only you knew...**_

**"Sora? Is that you?"**

**She did knew.**

_**"But then I heard a voice-"**_

**The shadow twitched its antennae, its yellow eyes glowed without hostile intent. It merely swayed from left to right, anticipating the group's next move.**

**It's yellow eyes though, bore right through Kairi's blue ones.**

**Kairi understood him.**

**The lucky charm then felt the light inside Sora grow stronger. His heart began to reform.**

**"Uh-oh!" They suddenly found themselves completely surrounded by Heartless.**

**Kairi stood in front of Sora, shielding him. "This time, I'll protect you."**

_**"-your voice..."**_

**Sora's heart was nearly complete. The light began to overcome the darkness. Now there was only one last piece remaining.**

**Then, all at once, the Heartlesses pounced.**

**On instinct, Kairi held Sora to protect him.**

**And this instinct was due to the fact that she loved Sora too.**

"You brought me back."

Now the lucky charm was snapped back to reality.

It was just Sora and Kairi, alone, in a damp, dark, yet tranquil place. Water droplets echoed throughout the entire cavern and disturbing the shallow pool of water surrounding it. The mossy rocks formed some kind of land bridge between Merlin's place and the second district of Traverse Town.

Oblivious to the two, the star-shaped object was there with them.

"I didn't want to just forget about you, Sora. I couldn't."

"That's it! Our hearts are connected. And the light from our hearts broke through the darkness. I saw that light. I think that's what saved me. No matter how deep the darkness, a light shines within. I guess it's more than just a fairy tale."

"Well, let's go!"

"You can't go."

"Why not?"

Sora looked thoughtful for a moment, before blurting out the most logical and truthful response he can come up with, "Because it's way too dangerous."

Kairi lowered her head and scowled, holding her left arm behind her back with her right hand, "Come on, Sora. We made it this far by sticking together. You can't go alone."

"Kairi, even if we're apart, we're not alone anymore. Right?"

Kairi couldn't agree more.

And that was it. They knew the feelings they had for each other, held by a strong bond of light. Their hearts, though returned to their respective owners, left behind this bond which will forever intertwine them.

Kairi's lucky charm felt it surge like wildfire inside it. It now understood completely the power it held inside itself.

Then it felt Kairi's touch. The object went right out of her pocket and into Sora's hand.

Not surprisingly for the object, Sora's hand was as gentle and as caring as Kairi's.

However, the only difference was that there was a certain power that flowed through the Keybearer. It began to tap the lucky charm's untapped power and unlocked its true potential.

"Take this. It's my lucky charm. Be sure to bring it back to me."

"Don't worry. I will." and Sora wrapped his hand around it.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The charm felt complete. However, it still had to fulfill its sole purpose in this life. And this sole purpose was to help Sora.

To keep this Oath he made to Kairi.

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It was long and slender. It fit perfectly in Sora's hands.

The handle was surrounded by silver, feathery shapes, to be what looked like wings of an angel.

And yes, for the boy, Kairi was his angel- his light, his guide, his savior from the darkness. And it encompassed the handle and his hand, constantly reminding him of her and as a symbol for keeping her close to him.

Below it hung a short chain, in which a single paopu fruit clung. A paopu fruit, legend says, have the ability to bind two people's hearts and intertwine their destinies forever. That is if those two people share one.

And Sora and Kairi did just that. In their own way, they shared one paopu fruit like no other: Kairi's lucky charm. It was, no doubt shaped like a paopu fruit, and it was shared with the belief that the two teenagers will have their destinies intertwined.

This paopu fruit of theirs intend to keep it that way. It intended to keep this oath they made, to bring Sora back to Kairi, and fulfill what a regular paopu fruit fulfills.

The blade itself is separated into two, representing the two individuals who made their Oath and at the same time, representing two fundamental strengths that would help keep this oath: On one blade was a heart and on the other, five smaller blades. They symbolize love and offense respectively. With Kairi in Sora's heart, he is determined and strengthened to go on fighting to come back to her.

And at the tip, the two separate blades were joined by one heart.

This was the lucky charm's true potential. It held the ability to bring them together again.

Sora's quest to return home continued. On and on he searched, fighting on, hoping that soon enough, he will see the light of day back on his home.

Every foe he slays, every time one of the blades make contact with his opponent, he moves one step closer to Kairi.

Everytime he summons Oathkeeper, he feels invincible, fueled by the desire, the will, to come home to her.

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It has been almost two years now, and the last time he saw her was after he defeated Ansem. He had never seen her since.

Now, Kairi was limited to his thoughts and his dreams.

The enemies he kill are getting far more numerous. And he began to wonder when was closer going to be... close?

He had grown weary and tired of all the fighting. Soon, his body was battered so much that he didn't even know if he will ever come home.

But even then, the Oathkeeper refused to let him give up.

"Here we go again." Sora opened his right hand.

Once again, the lucky charm felt that all too familiar summon as it flowed through Sora's veins, and into his hand. It began to take shape, forming that all too familiar keyblade.

When Sora clasped his hand around the handle, he felt his arm give way. Never before did he feel the Oathkeeper become this heavy.

The blade clanged hard on the floor.

"Sora!" his feathery comrade quacked.

"Are you okay Sora?" the humanoid dog asked.

"Ye-yeah, I'm fine." the teenager struggled to lift Oathkeeper into his battle stance.

"Heads-up then, we've got another fight in our hands." Donald fired a blizzard spell at an incoming Samurai.

The nobody was thrown back, disappearing in the process.

"First Heartless then now, Nobodies. When will it end?" Sora whined. Even if he was a revered Keyblade Master, he was still human. And a human does have his limits.

But does his love for Kairi have its limits?

He is, after all...

Human.

Donald stepped forward and placed a shield wall between the party and the Nobodies.

The Nobodies began pounding on the wall. Whenever a Nobody went over or under it, Goofy would take care of it.

"Sora, c'mon!" Goofy held his shield up high, watching as a sniper tried to go over the wall.

But Sora was already too tired of fighting. He wanted to be done with it. Most of all, he wanted to go home. All these months of slaying had taken its toll on the teenager. His battered mind started to lose its stability.

The Oathkeeper too was beginning to lose its hold on Sora.

Why couldn't he just wait a little longer?

All Sora wanted right now was to go home.

All he wanted was to be with Kairi again.

Why can't he have this simple wish?

Suddenly, his mind snapped.

His longing to see Kairi went all the way to the back of his mind. Right now, he did not know what he was doing.

He ran forward, dragging the keyblade along the floor.

He pushed Goofy aside, then pulled Donald away from him. The shield wall then collapsed, and the Nobodies began charging at this opportunity.

Some of the snipers sniped the charging keyblader, ripping his clothes and cutting his skin. But it seemed as though his nerve functions had shut down. He completely ignored the pain, doing a full three sixty degree spin as he made contact with the bulk of them.

The Dusks were the first to suffer this strike as a wide arc of them were obliterated.

But Nobodies know no fear. They have no morale. And so they pounced on Sora.

"C'mon Goofy!" Donald shouted and the two ran after the enraged teenager. They were bewildered by Sora's sudden actions yet they still had to help. Sora is, after all, their bestfriend and comrade in arms.

A samurai and one of its sword was cut in half, unfortunate enough to be caught in the other end of the Keyblade master's rage. Sora cut through another Dusk then immediately twirled his keyblade to hold it back hand and stabbed one dragoon behind him. He then incinerated a sniper beside him with fire before twirling it forehand to slash another samurai.

Sora then leapt up and slammed Oathkeeper to the ground, causing a small shockwave of energy that killed some of the nobodies. He leapt back, twirling his keyblade once to bring it to the proper position, then glided forward with lightning speed, Keyblade at the ready.

He successfully impaled a samurai and two dusks with this move. He then brought the keyblade to his right, killing off some of the assassins to his right.

But this brought down his guard. Another assassin had taken this opportunity to cut his left leg. Sora didn't show any emotion but his body buckled at the sudden attack. The Dusks then pounded his body.

But before they could ready themselves for another attack, Sora had recovered and killed them. But he still wasn't fast enough to evade a sniper's attack. The beam hit his left shoulder, momentarily stunning him and buying enough time for a samurai to land in front of him and make a nasty scar all the way from his left temple, down to his left cheek.

In rage, Sora retaliated by giving the samurai something much more than a nasty scar. He inflicted it from the Nobody's left waist right up to its right shoulder.

Four creepers took the shape of swords and began to harass Sora. And all he could do was block their attacks, until two dancers grabbed him and flailed him around. Sora landed on the wall and dropped down to a sitting position.

Luckily, Donald was able to get to him to dispose of one of the dancers. This distracted the other one, allowing Sora to kick it off and finish it with a fire spell.

"Sora! Are you okay?"

Sora ignored him and limped over to the remaining Nobodies.

It wasn't long before Goofy came over to Donald's side and pursued the teenager.

A dragoon slashed Sora's back. This added injury to his numerous wounds made him cough out some blood. In rage, he turned around, slashing sideways at it. Then he threw the keyblade at a sniper and killed it. As the blade flew back to his waiting hand, it hit another sniper and killed it as well.

It even slipped from his fingers when he tried to catch it and it skidded a few inches on the floor beside him. Sora hastily retrieved it only to get slammed by a Dusk.

The Oathkeeper had already lost full control of the young man.

_What are you doing Sora?_

No answer.

_Sora you are going to kill yourself._

"Shut up!" he brought the keyblade down to a group of samurais.

_What about your Oath?_

"What oath?" he spat. An assassin met its demise at his hands.

_Kairi is waiting._

"So what? I'm not coming home anyway! You see this?" and he bore the keyblade right into a samurai. He then kicked its lifeless body off the blade. "This is my pathetic destiny!"

_If that is your destiny, then I should no longer exist._

Sora completely lost himself, screaming at every Nobody he hacked, "Shut- up! I've- had- e- nough- of- figh- ting- for- no-thing! Go- away! Stop- it! Stop- it!" and with that, he brought his keyblade over a wide arc, killing every Nobody left standing..

"Sora!" Donald and Goofy called, running towards their friend.

Sora continued screaming, letting his anguish and grief out.

And then, the unthinkable happened. As Donald came close, Sora lifted the Oathkeeper.

"Sora no!" but it was too late. Sora hit Donald hard on his side. The bewildered duck was thrown to the ground, sliding for a few feet.

"Donald!" Goofy watched his feathered friend moan in shock before turning to Sora, "What are you doing Sora?"

But Sora wasn't listening. He turned towards Goofy, Oathkeeper held firm in his fighting stance.

_No Sora._

Goofy lifted his shield, "Sora don't do this!"

But the boy had completely lost his mind. There was no emotion in his eyes.

_Sora, this is not the way home._

He took a few steps forward while Goofy took a few steps back.

_This is not the way to see Kairi again._ The Oathkeeper tried to tap into Sora's feelings but the boy had closed himself. He couldn't be reached.

Then Sora lunged at his comrade.

Goofy side-stepped to his left as he jabbed his shield to the keyblade's side. He then let go of the shield, grabbed one of the blades with his free hand and pulled it past him.

Before Sora could turn around to hit him, Goofy grabbed the hood of his black jacket with his left hand, pulled Sora to him and brought him into a headlock. The Oathkeeper fell from his hand.

The keyblade master thrashed about. "Let me go! Let me go now!"

"Snap out of it Sora! This isn't you!" Goofy pleaded, still unwilling to let go. He began to feel Sora's blood stain his clothes.

Sora summoned the Keyblade back to his hand but Goofy's headlock prevented it from being of further use.

By this time, Donald had woken up. Sora was completely out of his mind, screaming and thrashing . "Sora get a hold of yourself!" he whacked the teenager's face, the side without the scar, with his wand.

_This is not the Sora Kairi loved._

Sora heard this, and he stopped. His eyes gradually returned to the normal ones he used to had. Goofy slowly released him when he thought it was safe to do so.

"I just want to go home, be home with Kairi." Sora's eyes began to swell, "Why can't I have that? I'm too tired of fighting." with that, he threw the Oathkeeper and broke down and cried.

Donald and Goofy felt sorry for him. But, they couldn't find the right words to say, so all they could do was to stay with him.

The Oathkeeper felt Sora's heart losing its glow. But it wasn't fading into the dark either.

Why is he giving up all of a sudden?

_You are not believing in yourself._

"Far too long have I believed, but nothing's happened."

_It wasn't long enough._

"How long do you expect me to believe? Forever?"

_How long do you expect to love Kairi? Forever?_

Sora didn't respond. It was funny how a simple object was getting to him. Maybe he was just imagining things. Or maybe it was his inner conscience that was talking to him. Nevertheless, it did have a point.

They heard a loud yelp from Donald. It turned out that three berserkers had come up to them and one of them hit Donald. Goofy held his shield up in defense but was immediately pounded by the other berserker.

The last one stood over Sora. Its lumbering hammer was intimidating.

But Sora didn't do anything. He resigned to his fate.

The large Nobody swung its hammer, hitting Sora on his side and sending him flying to a wall.

_Are you giving up?_

Sora didn't respond. The berserker struck him again.

_You are failing her._

Again, he was hit.

_She has never failed you._

"So what? I had failed her."

_But she will never fail you._

Another hit and Sora was sent sliding on the floor. "But she's too far." The berserker began to shrink. Its hammer glowed.

_She has always been with you._

This struck Sora. How did he ever forget? The berserker began to pound on the ground, making its way to the battered form of the teenage boy.

_Are you always with her?_

"Have... I?"

_You love Kairi don't you?_

The berserker was coming closer. Sora looked over his side. Oathkeeper was just lying there. He held out his hand to it.

_You made an Oath._

The berserker was within a few feet of Sora. Oathkeeper had vanished from its spot and materialized into Sora's hand. The keyblade, he realized, was stained with his blood.

_Now keep it._

"Help me keep my Oath." with that, the boy leapt to his feet and dodged the berserker. It didn't take long for him to kill it and reunite with Donald and Goofy.

It was amazing how this keychain had gotten into him. Oathkeeper knew that he really loved Kairi but he was just too impatient. All he needed was a little encouragement to keep on believing.

Because in actuality, he wasn't really that far from her.

Sora will come home.

He went on, with renewed strength and vigor, an Oath by his side.

Still he fought, but with meaning.

Still he was battered, but for a cause.

Still he believed, because of a love.

And still, the Oathkeeper retained its splendor and beauty, a monument to an oath it was keeping.

Until one day, when all seemed to end, the Oathkeeper would be hopefully, never used again.

And a new beginning would rise, starting with...

A simple Lucky charm, shaped like a paopu fruit being held in between a battered, gloved hand and a gentle, feminine hand.

And two simple yet meaningful words:

"You're home."

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A/N Okay, finished this story. It was supposed to be a one-shot but it seems to be a bit too long for that.

Tell me what you think and I hope you enjoyed. :-)


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